About the Author. To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and The HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

HR Communiqué

(News and Updates from The HR Architect)

BUILDING GREAT PEOPLE … FASTER

HRC NEWS

Not For Profit (NFP) Conference Melbourne – August 2013

Passionate people are the fabric of what makes the third sector work and that attracting, training and retaining extraordinary staff and volunteers is more important that ever for NFP organisations (Michael Cebon, General Manager and Founder Ethical Jobs).

The Melbourne Conference happened on 27 – 28 August 2013 with over 30 great speakers from across Australia and beyond, presenting to over 200 attendees. The conference presented the latest trends and forecasts to assist HR managers in making more informed and effective HR decisions. General topics covered:

Time Off For Charity Work Can Improve Retention

Employers who allow their employees additional annual leave to complete charity work during office hours are more likely to keep their workforce, according to a growing body of research.

A recent survey found some 50% of workers believe they would be more likely to stay with an employer that allows its workforce time to work or raise money for charities during working hours, and that one in ten employees say they would leave a less charitable company and take a “significant pay cut” to move somewhere which allowed them time off during work hours to do volunteer work. Read More

NEWS AND EVENTS

INDUSTRY UPDATES

The Queensland mining boom is far from over. That is the message from Deloitte Access Economics analysts who have predicted a bright future for the state’s economy, despite a major downturn in the resources sector in the past financial year. Discovery Metals Limited and PanAust Limited both lost more than half a billion dollars last year, while Maverick Drilling and Exploration were down nearly $330 million, Deloitte’s annual Queensland index revealed.

However, Ian Harper of Deloitte Access Economics said the Queensland economy was presently experiencing short-term pain as the resources industry shifted from an investment to export phase. “The export phase is just starting to pick up and that is slated to last for decades,” Professor Harper said. “The real economy is slowing but we are not talking about recession but the gear shift from phase one to phase two.” He said Queensland was expected to continue suffering short-term economic pain but recovery was predicted from late 2013. Read More

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and the HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Introduction

Passionate people are the fabric of what makes the third sector work and that attracting, training and retaining extraordinary staff and volunteers is more important that ever for NFP (Not For Profit) organisations (Michael Cebon, General Manager and Founder Ethical Jobs).

Snapshot

The conference took place in Melbourne on 27-28 August 2013 with over 30 great speakers from across Australia and beyond presenting to over 200 attendees.

The conference presented the latest trends and forecasts to assist HR managers in making more informed and effective HR decisions. General topics covered:

HR’s place in organisational strategy – ideas to improve your organisation’s culture to help keep staff for longer.

Setting the Scene

The Health and Community Services Workforce is predicted to grow by up to 77% over the next 12 years to 2025, according to a new report from the government funded Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council. But that growth will bring “dire, unprecedented workforce challenges” without urgent action. The Australian community and health workforce currently accounts for 12% of the country’s entire workforce and employs over 1.35 million workforce throughout Australia.

With Australia’s ageing population, there will be a related increased demand and expectation for demand services; and recent federal government reforms to promote consumer-directed funding, will drive a marked increase in the demand for care services. Care services including aged care, mental health, children’s services, disability care and indigenous services will face significant challenges that will not be met if the industry is unable to respond to the changing industry.

Inspirational Conference Speakers – Making an Extra Difference

(Dr) Bob Brown – it is amazing what Bob Brown has achieved in the NFP sector and is a true leader with much to share through his stories.

Key Takeaways and Trends

Developing women as leaders as 80% of Australia’s community sector workforce are women; and

Implementing formal programs to reward and recognise the contribution of volunteers across all generations – Gen Y through to Baby Boomers and Builders.

The Future

This conference has provided the conversation from where the NFP can take direction in meeting the challenges of the future. Looking forward to next years conference which will build upon the success of the 2103 conference. Bring it on!

Graphics: Ethical Jobs

About the Author. To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!!and The HR Communique.Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

This breakfast organised by Randstad provided an opportunity to hear about how gender diversity has been beneficial for companies and how it has brought additional commercial value. Creating greater gender balance requires leaders to develop a more “inclusive” culture that will not only benefit women but build an environment that will attract, motivate and retain the wider workforce.

I’m sure everyone walked away from this breakfast with insights to accelerate the gender diversity discussion within their daily work life and organisations.

Graphics: Career_Daimler

About the Author. To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!!and The HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

HR Communiqué

(News and Updates from The HR Architect)

BUILDING GREAT PEOPLE … FASTER

Top 3 Pressing HR and Talent Concerns

In a special Deloitte’s Resetting Horizons: Human Capital Trends 2013 report focusing on key trends driving business and human capital decisions, the top three talent and HR concerns facing them today have been revealed . It is interesting that findings between Australian and global executives were largely in agreement.

The report said “today’s global and Australian corporate leaders are focused on developing new leaders and planning for leadership succession. But given this finding, it is intriguing that Australian leaders did not rank Leadership as their number one current area of focus.” Read More

Your Fast Track to Success

Nearly every mid-size to large business in the world has some kind of performance management system – a process that, in theory, should help people set and achieve goals that ultimately drive performance. Yet only 14 % of businesses are actually happy with their current systems. (Source: 2013 Harvard Business School)

In August, 5 complimentary assessments (valued at $1500) are being offered as a great way to have a diagnostic check-up of your performance management process.

9 Sources of Inspiration for Highly Successful People

As part of an ongoing series titled “What Inspires Me,” LinkedIn Influencers Richard Branson, Naomi Simson, and other top influencers talk about what keeps them working, from a harsh rejection they received at the beginning of their career to the hard-working people they see every day in the office.

Cards on the Table

HR is frequently asked to fix performance issues by providing training, when systemic, deeper issues are at play. Instead of sweeping poor performance ‘under the carpet’, it’s being confronted more readily than in the past.

There’s no question that managing poor performance is a tricky area, yet it need not be ‘the event’ loathed by both employee and manager.

It must be remembered that, on the whole, most people don’t show up to work to purposely do a bad job. It’s therefore critical for managers to uncover the root cause of poor performance and determine whether an employee can be turned around. HRM Asia

Top Tips for NFP Employee Engagement and Retention

The Maxxia Workplace Insights: 2013 Not-for-Profit Sentiment Study, involving more than 1850 leaders and employees from the NFP sector, found people who work in the non-profit sector are generally happier and more satisfied than workers from other sectors, however around 50% of managers have considered leaving their organisation for career development and better pay.

Speaking from the Report’s launch, Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said, “This confirms we need to work harder to ensure we can attract and retain the right mix of skilled and qualified staff. This is critical for the long-term sustainability of our vital sector, as well as its effectiveness.”

“The wider Not-For-Profit sector employs nearly one million people, or around 8 per cent of Australia’s total workforce, and the most recent figures indicate it contributes 5% of Gross Domestic Product.”

“It’s pleasing to know that most people who work in the sector derive a great deal of satisfaction from being part of organisations that help others. This is extremely rewarding and a key driver in attracting staff.” Read More

About the Author

To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and the HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Your brand is only as safe as your least engaged employee. Engage your employees and align them with your corporate vision and values, as they are the face that represents your business at all levels, interacting with all stakeholders. Employee engagement is also an effective source for competitive advantage. Not only are employees an asset that is dynamic, flexible and resilient, but they are also difficult for your competitors to replicate, a source of value and uniqueness (The Right Group: October 2011).

Virgin Blue distinguishes itself apart from its competitors through its cheeky jargons and more importantly its corporate value set being value for money, quality, fun, competitive challenge and innovation. Virgin Blue employees embody these five values and convey a message to consumers that distinguishes them from employees of Qantas or Tiger Airways.

In the article Virgin Australia: Employee Engagement Critical, Virgin Airlines Chief Operating Officer Sean Donohue states that “the most valuable aspect, in terms of engagement with our employees, is what I would call alignment… what I mean by that is every single member of staff is excited about our strategy and are absolutely clear about what we’re doing and where we are going as a company”.

So what can you learn from the Virgin Australia experience? Can you apply the same concepts back in your organisation? It is a challenge that requires great commitment and inspiration to achieve such greatness.

Graphics: Virgin Australia

About the Author. To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and the HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.